Bacterial pathogens represent a substantial threat to aquatic environments, especially where the environment is heavily populated by fish, shellfish and other aquatic life. Aquatic environments having populations of pathogens are suboptimal for the health and development of various forms of aquatic life. Examples of such aquatic environments include a number of aquaculture type industries including, fish production facilities, where over 2.5 million pounds of fish are produced each year; freshwater and saltwater tropical fish aquariums, especially at the wholesale level where large populations of fish are combined for delivery and sale to potential customers; and koi and other outdoor ponds. Also included are intensive recirculating aquaculture systems, closed system aquaculture or other related intensive aquatic production systems containing aquatic life forms.
Prominent bacterial pathogens within the aquaculture industry include bacteria from the genus Aeromonas, Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, and Columnaris. These pathogens can lead to illness and death of the fish, shellfish or other aquatic life in the affected environment. The cost associated with these losses, and the potential health risk to those who consume the infected aquatic life is significant, and represents a major concern within these industries. Severe infections with pathogenic microbial species can result in mortalities approaching 80-90 percent.
Presently, bacterial pathogens are controlled by widespread use of substances such as chemicals and antimicrobial agents including antibiotics. However, widespread resistance to such treatments represents a major threat to the fish and shellfish populations as well as to those who consume or are associated with the resistant bacteria. Pathogenic bacterial resistance to chemicals and antimicrobials, as well as the lack of other effective treatments is of grave concern to the aquaculture industry. Against this backdrop the present invention has been developed.